Disclaimer: Do I own them? Nope. See, my name is RACHEL, NOT Joss. None of these characters belong to me. I'm not making money off them, blah, blah, blah. Do you really think I would put B/A thru all of this and have Buffy sleeping with Riley? YUK!
Rating:  Do you watch the show?? You can read this. Maybe PG-13ish Summary: Buffy's and Angel's plans are canceled during a rainstorm. What will they do to waste that time?
Spoilers: Nothing much…this is MY Buffy universe! FLUFF EVERYWHERE!
Authors Notes: This is following "Surprise" and "The Surprise Fluff Series" (Archived @ my site: http://angel4e_more.tripod.com/) Also, this follows "Traveling"  "First Day," and "Lessons @ the Beach"
****For the sake of not having to think about it, I am using movies that are out NOW (Even though this would have taken place in 2/3 season) Just go with me here.
****The movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is NOT mine. Neither is the love song, "A Love Before Time" They are BOTH great! If you haven't seen the movie GO SEE IT! It's my number 1 movie! And get the soundtrack. Great instrumental music.
Distribution: My site, Angel Forevermore, the groups I send them to and if everyone else can just tell me where it's going first. I'll probably say yes!
Feedback? <G> Does Angel look hott wearing leather pants? (All together now, Nod your head "YES!")

That morning, Buffy awoke to the sounds of rain pouring down and the sound of thunder growling across the sky. She looked around for Angel, but he was nowhere in sight. When she looked out the window, it seemed closer to midnight than 10:30 AM. Another rumble of thunder pounded right over their bedroom, and Buffy couldn't take it anymore. "Angel!" She screamed out, desperately needing to be in his arms.

Angel rushed from the living room and back to their bedroom. He took one look at his panicked beloved and moved to sit by her on the bed. "What's wrong, beloved?"

Buffy didn't even have to say anything. A bolt of lightening flashed across the sky followed by a chorus of "boom"s. Buffy immediately launched herself into Angel's arm, hugging into him tightly. "I don't like thunder." She complained, her sound muffled from speaking into his chest.

Angel smiled. His girlfriend, the all-powerful Slayer, was afraid of a thunderstorm. "The thunder can't hurt you, beloved." Angel assured her.

"I know…it's just that-" Buffy's voice was cot off by another crash of thunder and she burrowed deeper into Angel's arms. Only in his embrace could she ever feel safe and protected from everything around her. Angel wrapped him arms around her tighter and pulled her into his lap. He gently kissed her forehead, whispering words of sweet nothings in order to soothe her.

The thunder stopped and Buffy looked up into Angel's eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm acting like a baby."

"No, you're not." Angel replied, kissing her lips quickly. "I'll stay here until the storm stops." Buffy nodded. "Which might be for some time, actually. There's a severe thunderstorm going on outside." Angel explained. "It's right over us right now."

"Oh, well…that figures." Thunder rumbled above her and Buffy's shoulders jumped. She closed her eyes tightly, wishing the storm away. She and Angel had planned a full day at the beach with some swimming and snorkeling, like they had done almost a week ago. However, this storm totally ruined every plan they had made for today.

Angel saw Buffy's shoulders shake and he only tightened his hold on her. Angel hated to see fear or worry sketched on her expression. All he wanted to see was her perfect smile that could light up a whole room. "Shh, shh. It'll be okay, my love." Angel comforted her, before starting to think. "The only thing I don't get was, you didn't seem afraid of the thunder the night of your seventeenth birthday." Angel said.

Buffy took a second to think back about 6 months. "Well…I was kinda reeling from the Judge. I guess I really should have touched him." Buffy said.

"Oh…" Angel said as he lowered his eyes. "And that's it?"  

"No, silly." Buffy said. "I…I was with you." She blushed, thinking back to that night- the first time when she and Angel had made love. She was still so young and new that Buffy became somewhat embarrassed to actually talk to Angel about it. "That night…you distracted me from the storm."

"So, is that all I am to you? A distraction?" Angel asked. "I'm hurt!"

"Angel!" Buffy cried out. "You know what I mean!" She smiled and lightly hit his arm.

Angel also smiled. This was good. He had managed to distract Buffy from the storm. As long as the two could keep talking, maybe she'd be fine until the storm came to an end. But suddenly, right overtop of the two lovers, the loudest crack of thunder rang out.

"Angel…" Buffy sobbed, tightly wrapping her arms around his neck. A flash of lightening lit up the room and all of a sudden, everything went black. The power had gone out. Buffy fought back a yelp of fear. Never in Sunnydale had she ever heard a thunderstorm so fierce- so loud.

"Shh, shh, beloved." Angel whispered into her ear. "Don't be frightened."

Buffy whispered her lover's name once more before closing her eyes and willing away the tears. <God, I'm such a baby. Afraid of thunder.> However, she froze when another rumble, slightly softer that the last, ran out around her. "I just want it to stop." She moaned.

"It will, beloved. It will." Angel replied, looking into her worried eyes. Although the lights were out and the only time he got a good look at her was when the lightening flashed, she was clearly being affected by all of this.

"I know…" Buffy replied emotionlessly. She felt Angel's arms wrap tighter around her waist and his hands travel down her back. Angel lowered his head and pushed hers to the side before planting kisses up and down the left side of her neck. Angel could feel her body calming down, her breaths becoming slower and less erratic. When the next rumble of thunder shook, Buffy wasn't even fazed.

Angel blew a breath of air across the nape of her neck before kissing her again. "Buffy…" he whispered. "You still afraid of the thunder?"

Buffy kissed his lips. "What thunder?" She asked back, staring into his eyes. Just as long as he was holding here, she was safe from anything- even a measly old thunderstorm. And when Angel pushed Buffy back onto the mattress, all thoughts about thunderstorms disappeared. The only thing on each other's minds was their love.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Angel awoke several hours later, he reached out to pull Buffy into his arms. However, when he felt only sheets and empty air, his eyes popped open. Sitting up and wiping the sleep from his eyes, he glanced around for Buffy. The thunderstorm had ended a couple hours ago or so, and now a steady pour of rain fell down. He looked around the room for Buffy, but she was nowhere to be found. Angel climbed out of bed and pulled his boxers and shorts on before heading out to the living room.

"Hey," Buffy greeted him the moment he entered the room. "I was wondering when you would get up, sleepy head."

"Well, some Slayer wore me out back in there." Angel replied, sitting on the couch and talking Buffy into his arms. The electricity was back on and Buffy was now channel surfing, looking for something to watch.

"Who, me?" Buffy teased. She wrapped her arms around him, now feeling like she had come home.

"Yeah, you." Angel replied, kissing her softly. "After something like that, I'm always worn out."

Buffy grinned, always happy that she could please him so greatly and that she could make him feel just as happy as she was too. "Well, I do my best." She said.

Angel moved Buffy closer into his embrace. Feeling her against him calmed him to the depths of his soul. C'mon, beloved. Don't you just want to spend the whole day in bed? It's still pouring outside and we have nothing else to do…" Angel kissed her mouth and moved down to her neck, taking his time to kiss each inch of exposed skin.

"Hmm…temping offer." Buffy replied, sighing after Angel quit kissing her. "But…we've got plenty of time tonight for that." She teased him by moving away from his wandering and exploring lips. <Geez, when did my boyfriend turn into such a sex-maniac?> Buffy thought. Not that she minded or anything…

"So…since it's all wet outside, what are we going to do?" Angel asked her.

"Well…I was searching for a movie to watch before my lover came in and started to bug me." Buffy said, pointing over to the big-screen TV on the table.

"Bug you? Well…I can just leave." Angel replied, starting to climb to his feet.

"What? No!" Buffy replied, pulling him back down next to her. "Angel, don't leave. Never leave me."

Angel's look of joking changed into a look of serious love. "You know I won't. I'll be with you forever, Buffy."

Buffy noticed how serious he was- how powerfully he loved her. "Good, because I plan to keep you around for a good-long time. You know, whether that is 18 or 19…"

"Don't say that, beloved." Angel said. She was still the Slayer, and when they got back to Sunnydale, there would still be the Hellmouth, demons, and darkness. Accidents would always be possible. "I'm going to see to it that you get to a ripe old age."

"Eww…then I'm going to be all wrinkly and gray haired and fragile." Buffy complained, thinking about that.

"But I'll still be with you."

Buffy thought… "Well, so there *is* an upside to that." Buffy spread out on the couch, placing her head in Angel's lap and directing her eyes to the TV. "So…whatcha want to watch?"

"Whatever you want is fine by me." Angel replied, dragging his fingers through her hair lovingly.

Buffy flipped through the channels, beginning to look at the Pay-per-View movies. Many she had already heard of or seen- Down To You, Save the Last Dance, Hannibal, and many others. However, one particular movie caught her eyes.

"Ohh…Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon." Buffy said excitedly. "I've heard of this movie. It won like 5 Oscars a few months back."

"What's it about?" Angel asked.

"Uh…" Buffy read the synopsis that came onto the screen aloud. "Directed by Ang Lee. Portrays the story of tragic love, a magical sword, and heroes and heroines. All of this and more take place throughout amazing feats of sword fighting, karate, and kicks. Staring Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh." Buffy paused and looked up at Angel. "Now, *this* sounds like my kind of movie! Angel….can we watch it?"

Angel smiled down at his beloved one. "Sure thing."

Buffy pressed the "order" button and the TV screen went black. Before long, eerie and haunting music was heard through the speakers and the words, "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" appeared on the screen. Buffy settled down more comfortably in Angel's lap, watching the movie intently.

Angel placed his hand on her side, always watching what was going on. As soon as the first person spoke, Angel groaned. "Subtitles." He complained, "that means I've gotta read."

<Lazy-bones.> Buffy thought. "Shh, shut up." Buffy replied, as she lightly slapped his leg. Buffy already loved the movie. Angel noticed how into it she was and fell silent. However, within minutes, Angel, too, felt as though there were no subtitles and the actors were speaking English.

After the first fight, Buffy was stunned. "Oh my God! Flying is so sweet!" Buffy said, looking up at Angel. "I wish one of my Slayer powers was that. Man, I could beat any demon if I could fly." After that, she fell silent, going back to watching the movie.

Both were enthralled by this movie. Ling Mu Bai and Michelle Yeoh's love and Jen and Lo's love for each other was amazing. Although hidden and kept a secret, their love was definitely there. Angel and Buffy could relate- in the beginning, they, too, were unable to be together. Who and what they were kept them apart. Later, although passionate and loving, obstacles continually blocked them, just as the two pairs of lovers in the movie.

Both Buffy and Angel were stunned beyond words after the fight between Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Zihi. The choreography, weapon-usage, and skills were incredible. They were something that both Buffy and Angel yearned for- Buffy more, simply because she knew that she could be undefeatable.

Finally, came the heart-shattering ending. Buffy was in tears from the death of Jen, a girl who just had too many crimes on her conscience to amend. <Oh yeah, as soon as we get back into Sunnydale, Angel and I are buying this video.> Buffy thought. "Oh, wow." Buffy said, starting to sit up as the ending credits began to roll. "That was the most *amazing* movie ever."

Angel nodded. "Yeah, it was. I have to admit that's the best movie that I have seen. Granted, I haven't seen very many movies…"

"Man, I want to learn how to fight like that." Buffy said. "I'd be the undefeatable Slayer. That would be awesome."

Angel smiled over at her. "Yeah, pretty nice movies." He replied to her.

"*Pretty* nice?" Buffy asked, still amazed by everything she had seen in that movie. "That was awesome! You, mister, are buying this for me the *second* we get back into the US!" She said, poking Angel in the chest.

"Oh I am, am I?" Angel teased. Buffy nodded in response before Angel gave in, saying, "All right" in reply.

As the ending credits rolled, the fast tempo song changed into a slow-paced, symphonic sound of violins and a mellow cello. Angel leaned over and turned the sound up higher so that it filled the entire room. Then, after standing up, Angel looked down at Buffy. "I know it sounds somewhat stupid, but… we haven't done this in a long time." Angel said. "Dance with me?"

Buffy stood up and wrapped her arms around him. "Always." She whispered. The two lovers moved away from the couch and table as the music increased and the voice of a young singer blasted out of the speakers.  

If the sky opened up for me,

And the mountains disappeared,

If the seas ran dry, turned to dust

And the run refused to rise

I would still find my way,

By the light I see in your eyes.

The world I know fades away

But you stay.

Angel wrapped his arms tighter around his beloved. He thought about what the lyrics of the song were saying. He knew that no matter what, Buffy never gave up on him. *She* was the one who believed that they could be together, even throughout the vampire thing. "I love you." Angel whispered down to Buffy. Although he had already told her millions of times, he simply adored to tell her that. He wanted to know that he would love her always.

As the earth reclaims its due,

And the cycle starts anew,

We'll stay, always

In the love that we have

Shared before time.

"I love you more." Buffy whispered back to him, knowing that no matter what, he would always be by her side. Angel would always be there for her- her first true love.

If the years take away